Fire-escape



(NoMedeL) W. A. THOMPSON.

Fir'e Escape. No. 242,716.; Patented June'7, 1881.

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1C m Wm m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. THOMPSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,716, dated June 7, 1881.

- Application filed March 30, 1881. (No model.)

1' 0 all whom it'mcg concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. THOMPSON, of South Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes,of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is afrontelevation of my improvement, shown in'position for. use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the. same, the window sash and easing being shown in section through the line x to, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cradle, the window-casing being shown in section through the line y y of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. 7

The object of this invention is to facilitate the escape of people from houses, in case of fire, should the stairways be obstructed.

The invention consists in constructing a tireescape of a cradle formed of curved-side bars connected by cross-bars and provided with supporting bars or legs, said cradle being hinged to arod attached to the window-casing below the sill, and having a ladder attached to its free end and provided with means whereby the said fire'escape can be extended from the window when required for use, and folded down inside the window when not required for use; and also in making the sill and the panelback of the window each in two parts hinged at their outer edges, whereby the fire-escape can be turned ,down into the space below the sill and between the panel-back and the wall of the building, as will be hereinafter fully de- 7 scribed.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the casing of a window. The window-sill is made in two parts, B, which are hinged at their outer ends, so that the said'parts can be opened up like doors against the side of the casing, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to give free access to the space beneath the said sill. The panelback of the window is also made in two parts, 0, which are hinged at their outer edges to the casing A, so that the parts 0 can be opened out like doors, to give an unobstructed access to the space between the said panel-back and the wall of the building.

To the casing A, a little below the sill B, are attached the ends. of a rod, D, to which are hinged the ends of the side bars, E, of the eradle. The side bars, E, are connected by crossbars or rounds F, and are curved, so that when swung out of the window their free ends will project beyond the window-ledge. When the cradle is swung out of the window it is supported by the bars G, which are attached at one end to the curved' bars E in such positions that their other ends will rest in the angle between the window-ledge and the casing, and serve as legs, as shown in Fig. 2, to firmly support the cradle in place. With this construction, when the fire-escape is not in use it can be swung back into the space below the sill between the panel-back and the wall of the building, where the ends of the curved bars E may serve as stops for the doors 0 to shut against.

To the round connecting the free ends of the curved side bars, E, is attached the end of a ladder, H, the side bars of which may be ropes, chains, or wires, and the rounds of which may be of wood, metal, or other suitable material. The ladder H should be of such alength as to reach from the window with which the escape is connected to the ground. When the escape is not in use, and the cradle E F G is turned back into the space below the sill B, the ladder H is coiled up and placed within the said cradle, ready for instant use when required.

To one end of the lowest round of theladder H is hooked or otherwise attached the end'of a rope, I, which passes up along one side bar of the ladder H, passes around a guide-pulley, J, or through a guide hook or eye attached to the side bar, E, of the cradle, over a guide-pulley, K, or through a guide hook or eye attached to the top of the casing A, and hangs down into such aposition that it can be conveniently reached and operated by a person within the room to raise the ladder H from the ground and draw it up to the window.

' The rope I can be detached from the ladder H and used for lowering articles from and raising them into the window.

In some cases the space between the wall of the building and the panel-back may require to be deepened to make space forthe cradlle E F G, and in cases where this cannot be done a box can be placed against the panel-back to receive the fire-escape.

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ladder H, the cradle E F G, and the window- I casing A, of the rope I and the pulleys or guides J K, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the ladder can be conveniently drawn up when. desired, as set forth.

WILLIAM A. THOMPSON.

- Witnesses:

JAMES T. GRAHAM, O. SEDGWICK. 

